Pets
by imsomeonelse
Summary: AVENUE Q. Nicky wants a pet-but not just any pet, oh, no. He wants a furry, destructive, messy, dirty, creature...And with that lovely pout of his and beautiful brown eyes, how can Rod refuse?


"Please?"

"No…"

"Please? Please?"

"No."

"Please, Rod?"

"...No."

"Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"

"NO!"

"Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"

"..."

"Yeah??"

"...Alright, Nicky..." Rod complied after three straight weeks of hearing the same word everywhere he was. There was always Nicky begging with his wide, puppy eyes; when they ate, when Rod left for work and when he returned, when he woke up, he _even_ fell asleep hearing the chants of Nicky's 'Please-please-please'. And, Rod had to admit, this had gone further than any of the other times. Of course, Nicky had asked for the same thing numerous times since they were in college, and it had always been the only thing Rod would refuse to comply. Nicky would forget it in a day or two and remember it again six months later.

The idea had somewhat stuck in his mind, apparently, since three weeks ago Princeton had come up with a Golden Retriever puppy for Kate that had to leave a week later because animals weren't allowed on Avenue Q.

He wanted a _pet_.

A pet! And not _any_ pet! Not a nice, quiet, small, turtle, or a...a...a fish! A simple pet that would die within three days because of Nicky's carelessness (because Rod _knew_ that would happen), but would cease Nicky's wants for a pet for a good few months. _No_. He wanted a furry creature; a furry, destructive, messy, dirty, creature with four legs and a tail, most probably. _A dog! In their apartment!_

And yet, he had managed to convince him.

"OMG! THANKS, ROD, I LOVE YOU!" he said and threw his arms around Rod in a quick embrace that he broke apart to start babbling about the dog they would buy.

Which was the reason he didn't notice Rod blushing a furious shade of purple.

"Can we buy it now?" Nicky asked impatiently. Rod didn't hear, since he was off somewhere in his mind where Nicky could have all the dogs he ever wanted, and Rod could have everything he ever wanted _from Nicky_...

"Huh, Rod? CAN WE BUY IT NOW?!"

"Huh?" Rod answered, looking thoroughly confused. The expression on Nicky's face answered everything. "Now...?"

"Yeah! I mean, it's Sunday! It's early! There's a pet shop just a few streets from here!! Why not?"

Rod sighed. Was there anything he could really do? There was no way he would refuse anything to his beloved Nicky, just to see his smile spread across his face in that childish way. "Uh...alri-!"

He didn't quite get to finish his sentence before Nicky had pulled him outside already.

"I'll name him Max! No...it's sounds too gay –no offense, buddy-...or, uh, Mark? Nope...Maybe I should name him ROD!" he announced cheerfully as they walked down the street, heading to the friggin' pet shop of doom...

"You're not calling him Rod, Nicky!" Rod squeaked. "Besides, how do you assume it's gonna be male?"

"Because I _want_ a male." Nicky stuck out his tongue at Rod. _Why couldn't he choose the same in sexual preference? _"So, what do you suggest, then?" Nicky added after a very brief silence.

"Me? It's _your_ dog..."

"No!" Ncky whined. "It's yours also! _Ours_. Unless you don't want to help out..." He let his voice trail away in that kind of sad-ish tone.

Damn. Sometimes Rod thought Nicky did that _purposely_. "Of course I'll help out." He stated, like daring Nicky to contradict him. "Judy?"

"It's a _boy_. We aren't naming him after your favorite actress."

"So, I guess 'Barbra' wouldn't work, either?" Nicky shook his head and Rod shrugged with a pout Nicky doubted Rod knew that existed among his facial expressions.

"What about Hugh?" Rod said with a sudden smile.

"Hugh Jackman." Nicky laughed. "Nope."

"Uh...Anthony?"

"Anthony Rapp." Nicky recited.

"Then...Adam?"

"Adam Garcia!" Nicky replied. So, it seemed Nicky knew him better than he had expected. The thought cause a dumb smile to spread across his face, unable to be removed.

"Alright. Let's just call him Liir." Rod said with a knowing smile. It was still a Broadway reference, but he knew Nicky would never know.

"Liir?" Nicky repeated, furrowing his eyebrows cutely as he struggled to find the place where the name had come from.

"Yeah. Liir."

"Do I-" he cut himself off before finishing. His eyes widened with excitement, and, once again, he grabbed Rod's sleeve to pull him down the street where the pet shop finally was.

He didn't let go off Rod when he stuck his face against the glass showing four small Labrador pups.

"Shall we go in??" he said, and before Rod had the chance to answer, he had already dragged him inside.

"Nicky, are you su-?" Rod tried to persuade him-not with much hope.

"Yeah!"

"But, Nicky, I mean-"

"Yeah!"

"But it's a great responsibi-"

"Yeah!"

"But you would have to-"

Nicky, who had been heading all the while to the dog cages, suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he has been struck with a new sudden light. For a brief second, Rod had the hope he had given up on buying a pet...But he knew that would be too good to be true.

Instead, Nicky turned around and started heading to the opposite direction, still dragging Rod along with him.

He stopped once again in front of a much smaller cage, staring at its insides as if were the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

"These! I want one of these!" he said, pointing at the cage with all the excitement he could probably muster.

"That?" Rod said slowly. Trying not to make a face at the choice of pet Nicky was pointing to. "But...! They're like...large rats!" he screeched. And Rod HATED rats (or rather, was _very_ afraid of them).

"No, they're not!" Nicky said, frowning. "They are not even from the same family! See, ferrets are from the family of otters and skunks..."

_Skunks!_ Rod had the sudden impression he was soon gonna faint.

"Y'know what, Nicky? A dog was a great idea! We can even buy a Dalmatian! Or a Golden Retriever, like Kate's! Shit, let's buy a Doberman!"

"No!" Nicky said as that were the craziest thing Rod had ever said. "I _want_ a ferret! Look at them! They are so cuddly and cute!"

Rod could sincerely said he saw nothing 'cute and cuddly' on the large rats sleeping all in a bundle on the only hammock inside the cage. But more that that, he felt _jealous_ of the stupid animals. What right do they had to be called 'cuddly and cute' by Nicky, while Rod wasn't?

Stupid large rats.

"They are smaller than dogs! And less messy! C'mon, Rod, you promise to buy me a pet!" he begged again, with those stupid pretty eyes, and that stupid kissable pout.

"Uh...fine." Rod sighed. Really, he didn't know why he still tried. "Fine. But you'll clean and feed it, unlike with your other pets..." Along his life, Nicky had had two dogs, a rabbit, a duck (while he was still living with his parents), around six turtles, ten fish, two birds, and a hamster (the only pets Rod and Gary had ever allowed into their apartment). Half of them had ended up dead, while the other half was given away.

"Oh, get off it, Rod! I _really-really_ want this ferret. I'll take care of him." If only Rod hadn't heard that so many times, he would probably believe Nicky. But he knew he would end up taking care of the large rat for the few months before it was given away, and then Nicky would start again the whole 'I want a pet!' process.

"Ok, if you say so..."

"Yeah!" Nicky exclaimed and ran over to the cashier, while Rod stayed behind, still staring disgustedly at the large rats.

"Oh, he's such a cutie!"

Nicky had chosen-after almost an hour of 'I want that-No, wait...that! No, that!...Or perhaps the other one?'- a white ferret with a line of black fur going from its back to its tail, and dark eyes, who was squirming around Nicky's hands.

The mere sight of him gave Rod shrills.

"Uh-huh." He said with sarcasm, but Nicky didn't get it.

"But he still doesn't have a name..." he said thoughtfully. "Liir! I know where that comes from! WICKED!"

Rod's eyes widened with surprise. Nicky was right. Nicky had listened to him ranting about the musical and the book and how they were so different...

"But there wasn't a Liir in the play, was it?" he said confusedly. Rod had just dragged Nicky to see it around a month ago, and for some unknown reason, Nicky managed to sit through the whole musical without getting bored before the first act finished.

"No." Rod shook his head, still plainly amused. "It's in the book. Fiyero's illegitimate son with Elphaba. I didn't think you had listened when I told you about it..."

"That's it!" Nicky yelled suddenly. He held the ferret so he was able to see straight into his eyes and announced solemnly. "His name is Fiyero!"

"Fiyero?" Rod cocked his eyebrow. He liked it. Not the name, but the fact that Nicky was naming the stupid rat because of Rod.

"Yeah!" And with that, and to Rod's surprise (then disgust, then confusion), placed the ferret on Rod's arms.

"Eep!" Rod squeaked, about to let go of the ferret. But there was something in the eyes of the stupid rat, something in his face, in his paws, in his tails in fur, in his _name_ that impeded him to.

Nicky was already a few meters ahead, running, while Rod stayed behind with the ferret in his hands.

He sighed, staring silently at the figure of Nicky.

"Perhaps one day?" he spoke up to no one in particularly, but Fiyero seemed to be listening intently. Maybe he was thinking 'Yeah, one day. Just wait, and he'll realize it...one day...'. But then again, it was a ferret...so Rod strongly doubted it was thinking that...

Still...

He sighed again and stared down at the stupid rat. "I think you and I are gonna be friends, y'know, Fiyero?"


End file.
